Joe Schoen’s ‘Hard Knocks’ Experience Leaves Lasting Scars
Joe Schoen had a moment of levity at the NFL Combine when asked about HBO’s Hard Knocks and whether any teams had sought his advice on participating in the show. His response? A sarcastic laugh and a blunt, “No, I haven’t gotten any calls on that… I think I know what I would tell them.”
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And who can blame him? The 2024 offseason edition of Hard Knocks turned into a nightmare for the Giants, exposing internal decision-making and casting a harsh spotlight on the franchise’s struggles. The most infamous moment came from Schoen’s own son, Carson, who bluntly told his dad to trade up for quarterback Jayden Daniels—who later became the Offensive Rookie of the Year with Washington. The Giants, however, passed on Daniels, stuck at No. 6, and finished with a brutal 3-14 record.
Even a year later, the fallout from that Hard Knocks experience still lingers. The NFL is now struggling to find another team willing to participate in the offseason version of the show, and it’s easy to see why. No franchise wants their tough decisions dissected in real-time, especially when things don’t go as planned.
Schoen also reflected on letting Saquon Barkley walk in free agency—a decision that stung even more when Barkley helped the Eagles win a Super Bowl in his first year with the team. While Schoen insists he’s “happy for Saquon” and that the Giants were simply in a different stage of their rebuild, the optics were undeniably rough.
Despite all the criticism, Schoen remains focused on the future. When discussing young quarterbacks, he emphasized two key traits: completions and winning. He wants a QB who can get the job done, not just throw deep bombs for the highlight reel—a lesson he’s likely drilling into his own son, Carson, now a freshman QB at Don Bosco Prep.
As for Hard Knocks , it’s clear that Schoen wouldn’t recommend it to any GM looking to maintain control of their team’s narrative. The Giants took the hit last year, and no one seems eager to follow in their footsteps.
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